'Two actors don't necessarily have to get along to create chemistry.'
It certainly raised eyebrows when Gulshan Devaiah candidly said that he didn't share a friendly relationship with his co-actor Janhvi Kapoor.
The duo will be seen together in Sudhanshu Saria's political thriller Ulajh, releasing August 2.
Gulshan then picked up his phone and spoke to Janhvi, who was amused by the whole episode.
"She laughed at me and said, 'Yeah, you have a certain sense of humour'," Gulshan tells Mayur Sanap/Rediff.com.
A lot has been made out of your statement about not vibing with Janhvi on the Ulajh sets.
The point is that we don't always vibe (with co-actors) and that's a reality. I don't want to lie.
She is quite reserved and keeps to herself but I never felt that it gotten in the way of us doing work together.
That's the point I am trying to make.
Two actors don't necessarily have to get along to create chemistry. We are professional actors who know our jobs.
Rajkummar (Rao) and I are also like that. We barely talk, we would only exchange pleasantries on sets, but we didn't have any problem.
How does it work when you don't hit it off with your co-stars?
There should be a professional environment conducive for doing creative work.
There are people that get along, hang out with each other.
That was not the case between Janhvi and me at all. Yes, we got along well but didn't vibe.
Also, if you see in the Shaukan song, you get an indication of the tone it might be between these two characters. People assume that you have to really get along to do this.
I want to dispel that myth.
You can have amazing chemistry with somebody who you hardly spend time with.
And then what is it really about? It's about the job. It's about understanding the job, understanding the assignment, and doing your best by using your skillset.
What got you excited about this film?
I really liked the part and wasn't really sure how I was going to play it. I enjoyed figuring it out on my own and also with Sudhanshu.
I did some rehearsals with Janhvi also.
The process was great and I thought the film was great for my career.
I fell in love with cinema because of going to the movies and I want to be able to do that.
I enjoy the big screen experience and want my work to be available there also.
I always look forward to theatrical releases.
Is there a pressure that this is your theatrical release after a long time?
Absolutely no pressure. I'm sure there is a pressure, but I'm taking none.
You spoke about getting a chance to rekindle the equation with your ex-wife Kalliroi Tziafeta during the shoot in London. Is that one of your takeaways from this film?
Yeah, absolutely.
Personally, that was a very important thing. I'm so glad that we didn't destroy our relationship because of our distance.
She was living in London for years but we never went to London when we were together.
When we decided to sort of get back together, I said why don't we start from London. So that was really special. I will always cherish that.
How did you make things work the second time?
First, you have to give it time to heal because there's hurt on both sides.
If you don't heal properly, you keep digging at the wound. Oh, but did that, you did this... you just blame.
You have to give enough time for it to pass that phase and then we tried to be friends.
We were like, we have so much love for each other, it's okay if we can't be a couple, let's try and save a friendship.
We were able to do that and then we realised that it's just makes sense to get back again because that connection between us is there. We care for each other, are fond of each other and we take so much interest in each other's lives.
Again, it doesn't mean that we have to succeed or anything like that. Maybe we won't.
But at least I'm happy that we are not burdened or pressurised by the whole relationship thing. That was probably one of the reasons why we broke up because it was too much pressure to be a certain way.
We are better equipped to handle the pressures of being married or being in a relationship, so why not give it another shot?
You once said that you like to stay real and honest. Does this attitude come with its own challenges in this make believe industry?
The challenge is that sometimes you are misunderstood.
Sometimes people around you are scared. Like, I'm sure I'm a PR nightmare (Laughs) because they don't know what I'm going to say.
Particularly after that clip went out.
Janhvi has no problem because I spoke to her. She laughed at me, and was like, 'Yeah, you have a certain sense of humour.'
People who I'm with, they know that I'm not trying to put anybody down. But PR people are super nervous because they're used to having some sort of control on the narrative. But they also eventually figure out that I'm harmless.
I just want to have my own way, be my own authentic self. I'm not interested in trying to show that I'm better or anything like that.
I want to work with everybody, I don't want anybody to be scared or intimidated by me.
Unpredictable people are misunderstood.
You have been around for 15 years now. Last year, you had two fantastic shows, Guns & Gulaabs and Dahaad. Do you think you are finally getting your due as an actor?
I don't know about that but it's a good phase in my career.
It started with Duranga and continued with Dahaad and Guns & Gulaabs.
A couple of my films are also ready for release.
I'm not interested in this due because I don't know what I want to do.
I choose when things come to me.
I want to be surprised.
I had no clue that something like Ramleela would come to me.
I had no clue that somebody would give me a film called Hunterrr, which is probably what I'm best known by.
I never knew that Raj & DK would offer me Atmaram (his character in Guns & Gulaabs).
I never knew that a six-minute part in Badhaai Do would be so well appreciated.
I have to allow for these happy coincidences and surprises.
But it's up to me to have clarity and conviction in the choices I make. Sometimes I'll be making wrong also, it's okay.
What is your higher pursuit?
A higher pursuit is not having tons of money or being a superstar.
Is there something beyond that? I don't know, maybe I'll never find out.
Somebody sent me a message about my film called 8 AM Metro, that Saiyami (Kher) and I did together. It is directed by Raj Rachakonda, and was a small film that released in theatres last year.
A few of the messages were from people dealing with loss and pain and how this film helped them to deal with it. One person even told me that it saved him.
None of us were thinking about any of these things while doing that film but if your work can have this kind of impact on people, there is no greater satisfaction.
There is no reward or prize that can eclipse this feeling.
During the Janhvi episode, your Dahaad co-star Vijay Varma appreciated your forthrightness by saying, 'You don't get intimidated easily'. It is quite rare for an actor to speak up for another. How do you cultivate such friendships in this industry?
If you're able to be friends or have some sort of camaraderie (with co-actors), that's a bonus. But it's not necessary.
Vijay and I have it. We're appreciative of each other's work.
We spend a lot of time working together and are genuinely interested in each other's lives.
He's a professional actor and a very skilled one at it. We work very well together.
We have some common interests also, like sneakers.
A lot of actors take up direction or production to further their creativity. Do you see yourself in that zone at some point?
I thought about it a lot but don't think I can do it. I don't feel any compulsion.
I want to be part of stories. I don't want to tell a story.
A prominent production house and director gave me an offer but I said no.
